Hard and Soft
by Punzie the Platypus
Summary: When W'Kabi first sees Okoye, he wonders if she's ever smiled. So, like any lovestruck man, he decides the way to her heart is to introduce her to his newest rhino calf, Saeed. 'And Okoye smiled, a break of sun through the clouds.' W'Kabi/Okoye. SPOILERS!


_**Soli Deo gloria**_

 **DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Black Panther.**

 **Black Panther was** _ **soooo**_ **good, you guys! SO GOOD!**

When W'Kabi first met Okoye, he wondered if she had ever smiled once in her whole life.

She'd been promoted to second-in-command to the current General, and attended as a bodyguard the counsel of the Four Tribes. The meeting was about the Avengers and the UN, and if a meeting was called between all the world's countries' representatives, how much would King T'Chaka reveal about Wakanda to a quickly changing, shrinking world. W'Kabi's mind was mostly diverted in trying to catch this young commander's eyes; he wanted to make her smile. Yet tall and straight and resolute she stood, almost like she couldn't see him. Her manner was hard and strict and perfect. She was as hard as rock and still as a statue. W'Kabi wondered if she ever smiled.

After the meeting, W'Kabi leaned close to T'Challa and asked, "Who is that?"

T'Challa followed W'Kabi's staring eyes and said, "Ah, that is one of our newer guards. Her name is Okoye, I believe, or so Nakia says." T'Challa sighed and looked outside the palace windows.

Clearly, these two friends had their minds focused solely on two different girls. Running on the Okoye vein, W'Kabi said, "Do you think she ever smiles?"

"She does, and when she does, it's like the best gift in the world. Like the sun opening to shine out of a cloudy day," T'Challa said to himself, thinking of Nakia.

Oblivious of the fact that T'Challa's thoughts were elsewhere, W'Kabi said to himself, "Like the sun on a cloudy day," thinking of Okoye.

* * *

W'Kabi took his next chance to talk to her. She trailed behind T'Challa as T'Challa came to visit the Border Tribe's land. W'Kabi could barely focus on their conversation about the latest reports of the animal births they'd had that spring. His eyes kept drifting over to Okoye. Her spine straight, her eyes unflinching; but yet she was a woman, and had a heart. How he wanted to see it!

T'Challa turned away to argue on a call from a bored Shuri and W'Kabi snagged his chance. While the rest of the Dora Millaje talked to one and another, Okoye was silent, her eyes seeing over the vast lands, ever on the alert, even when her sisters or her prince were not. W'Kabi's attempt to sneak up on her didn't go unnoticed.

"Hello, Okoye," he said, wearing a smile.

She didn't return it. "Hello, W'Kabi." She gave him the stiffest bow he'd ever seen.

"I want to show you something," he said, as his eyes strayed to where hers were, and an idea came to his brain.

"I cannot leave my post," Okoye said, her eyes flickering over to T'Challa, now trying to find patience to deal with his stubborn little sister.

"He's right there. We're not going far," W'Kabi said. He offered his hand. She looked at it disdainfully, as if it was dirty or stupid. He withdrew his hand and said in a businesslike tone, his back to her as he walked away, "I've got a new rhino calf, if you're interested."

He smirked to himself. He saw where her eyes had landed. He knew there was something of tenderness in her.

He saw her shadow come alongside him instead of hearing her footsteps. Her footsteps were stealthy and silent.

His hands latched onto the wooden gates; he leaned forward, searching for his especial pet. "Saeed, Saeed," he called. Okoye's eyes widened as a little calf bounded away from his mother and attended the offered hand W'Kabi held out. Its thick tongue licked him, like messy kisses. W'Kabi laughed.

"Saeed," Okoye said, watching the interaction with interest. It meant 'happy'. "Why did you name him Saeed?"

"Because that is what he _is_ ," W'Kabi said, meeting her eyes. He saw the tiniest glimmers of mirth in them. "Saeed is happy." He glanced down at her hand. "Offer your hand. Let him lick it."

A touch of fear flickered in Okoye's eyes. "He won't bite?"

W'Kabi laughed. "No, of course not. Never. He is so little, and so gentle. He wouldn't think of it."

The fear died away as Okoye gulped and held out her hand. She gasped when the little rhino focused his attention on her. Her face broke into a smile straight away into a laugh. "It tickles!" she said.

Okoye couldn't see W'Kabi staring at her in amazement; if she did, she would have snapped her mouth shut and left to fulfill her duty as a bodyguard. He stared at her smile; it was indeed like the beautiful yellow-orange sun bursting through the dark grey skies on a stormy day, bringing glad tidings instead of dreadful forebodings; soft. She had the most beautiful smile.

It was a beautiful, sunny day. W'Kabi's plan suceeded. 'Cause she looked up to meet W'Kabi's eyes and smiled at _him_.

* * *

Years later, when he charged at her on Saeed, she stood as resolute as a statue. She couldn't be moved. W'Kabi expected Saeed to maul her, but instead he rebelled against his master's reins and stopped short. Saeed licked her face with his thick tongue. And Okoye smiled, a break of sun through the clouds.

W'Kabi knew he was wrong, then. He wasn't loyal to Okoye as he should've, but Saeed's friendship and loyalty to Okoye stood the test of years. That was why she stood resolute, as still as a statue. She knew Saeed wouldn't betray her as W'Kabi did.

It was a dark, cloudy day. Okoye smiled as W'Kabi's plan failed.

 **In the theater, I saw the rhino lick her face like an old friend and knew RIGHT THEN I had to write a fanfic about _why_ it didn't maul her. **

**Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think!**


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